Scientists have developed an experimental chewing gum that can potentially help curb the spread of COVID-19.

The study published in the journal Molecular Therapy was conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and The Wistar Institute and Fraunhofer USA, and could mean a cost-effective ammunition against the COVID pandemic.

According to the study, the plant-based chewing gum can trap virus particles in the saliva and keep it from being transmitted.

We know that COVID-19 primarily spreads through droplets and aerosols that are transmitted by an infected person when they sneeze, cough, or even talk and breathe.

Moreover, past evidence also suggests that saliva of infected people have a high viral load.

The researchers involved in this study used this knowledge to create the potentially revolutionary chewing gum designed to reduce the viral load in the mouth.

The study researchers also found that the virus tends to replicate in the salivary glands and the mucous membranes, pinning the mouth as 'a high-risk route for SARS-CoV-2 transmission'. Making it the target of their strategy to reduce viral infectivity.

A similar rationale is also behind the COVID-19 nasal sprays that reduce viral load in the nasal cavity.

According to the study authors, the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binds with the ACE2 protein receptors on some human cells, facilitating its multiplication and spread.

The researchers have, therefore, developed the chewing gum containing copies of the ACE2 protein receptors with the hope that the virus particles would bind to them instead, leading to a lower viral load in the oral cavity.

For the study, the researchers used plant grown ACE2 protein—freeze dried, crushed into a powder, and added to the chewing gum base.

Unlike nasal sprays or mouth washes that wears off fast, they chose chewing gum as their base for its long period contact.

According to the researchers, the gum tablets have the taste and texture of regular chewing gum, and is just as durable. Only the process of making it varies.

More importantly, the ACE2 chewing gum contains an additional 25mg and 50 mg of CTB-ACE2 freeze-dried 5× ground plant cells. These plant cells help deliver the ACE2 proteins.

“We are already using masks and other physical barriers to reduce the chance of transmission. This gum could be used as an additional tool in that fight," Henry Daniell, lead author of the study and research fellow at University of Pennsylvania, was quoted as saying by the University's newsletter, PennToday.

Although it theoretically works, the gum is currently in the early stages of development and the final product has not been tested in humans yet.

So, the wait for the chewing gum treatment to hit the markets may be a long one.

Moreover, more research is needed to answer some key questions about the chewing gum, like how long its effectiveness will last, or how other variables like a person's oral environment will impact its effectiveness, who is it safe for, and how effectively it can prevent virus transmission in a real world setting.

(Written with inputs from PennToday.)